MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Boyd
AN ACT TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 37-144-1, 37-144-3, 37-144-5, 37-144-7, 37-144-9, 37-144-11, 37-144-13, 37-144-15, 37-144-17, 37-144-19 AND 37-144-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDE FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RURAL PHYSICIANS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 37-146-1, 37-146-3, 37-146-5, 37-146-7, 37-146-9, 37-146-11, 37-146-13, 37-146-17, 37-146-19 AND 37-146-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDE FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RURAL DENTISTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-144-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-1. There is established the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program for the purpose of identifying and recruiting qualified university and college students from rural areas of the state for medical or osteopathic school matriculation. The program shall consist of three (3) distinct phases through which participants will progress, including:
(a) Undergraduate premedical education;
(b) Medical or osteopathic school and residency; and
(c) Post-residency entry into medical practice in a rural or underserved area of the State of Mississippi.
SECTION 2. Section 37-144-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-3. (1) The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program shall be administered by a commission to be known as the "Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Commission." The commission shall be directed by a board composed of the following members:
(a) Two (2) generalist physicians appointed by and from the membership of the Mississippi State Medical Association, the term of which shall be three (3) years and may be reappointed for one (1) additional term;
(b) One (1) generalist physician appointed by and from the membership of each of the following organizations, the term of which shall be three (3) years and may be reappointed for one (1) additional term:
(i) Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians;
(ii) Mississippi Chapter, American College of Physicians;
(iii) Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics;
(iv) Mississippi Chapter, American College of OB-GYN;
(v) Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association;
(vi) Mississippi Osteopathic Association;
(c) Two (2) designees of the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine whose terms are at the discretion of the dean, at least one (1) of whom is a member of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine Admissions Committee;
(d) Two (2) medical students, one (1) of whom shall be selected yearly through a process developed by the Dean of the School of Medicine in consultation with the Chairs of the Departments of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB-GYN and Pediatrics, and one (1) of whom shall be nominated for a one-year term by the Mississippi Chapter of the Student National Medical Association and approved by the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine;
(e) A member of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning;
(f) The Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine; and
(g) A licensed psychiatrist appointed by the Mississippi Chapter of the American Psychiatric Association.
(2) The premedical advisors from the accredited four-year colleges and universities in the state and the directors or designees of the primary care generalist training programs in the State of Mississippi shall comprise an advisory committee to the commission to assist the commission in its administration of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program.
(3) Vacancies on the commission must be filled in a manner consistent with the original appointments.
(4) All appointments to the commission must be made no later than September 1, 2019. After the members are appointed, the Chair of the Department of Family Medicine shall set a date for the organizational meeting that is mutually acceptable to the majority of the commission members. The organizational meeting shall be for the purposes of organizing the commission and establishing rules for transacting its business. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at all commission meetings. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the adoption of rules, reports and in any other actions taken by the commission. At the organizational meeting, the commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from the members appointed according to paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (1). The chair shall serve for a term of two (2) years, upon the expiration of which the vice chair shall assume the office of chair.
(5) After the organizational meeting, the commission shall hold no less than two (2) meetings annually.
(6) The commission may form an executive committee for the purpose of transacting business that must be conducted before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the commission. All actions taken by the executive committee must be ratified by the commission at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
(7) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the commission.
(8) Funding for the establishment and continued operation of the program and commission shall be appropriated out of any money in the General Fund not already appropriated to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
SECTION 3. Section 37-144-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-5. The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) Developing the administrative policy for the commission and the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program;
(b) Promulgating rules and regulations, with the advice and consent of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, pertaining to the implementation and operation of the Rural Physicians Scholarship Program;
(c) Developing and implementing strategies and activities for the identification and recruitment of students and for marketing the program and for the implementation of the program. In developing these strategies, the board shall seek the input of various organizations and entities, including the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, the Mississippi Chapters of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of OB-GYN, the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, the Mississippi Osteopathic Medicine Association and the American Psychiatric Association;
(d) Establishing a budget, with the advice and consent of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, to support the activities of the program and periodically reviewing and if appropriate, revising, the scholarship and other stipends offered through the program;
(e) Advising the University of Mississippi Medical Center regarding hiring an executive director and support staff necessary for the commission's work. The commission shall nominate at least two (2) individuals to serve as executive director;
(f) Reviewing participants progress in the program and mentoring students and physicians participating in the program;
(g) Developing and participating in programs that provide initial practice support in collaboration with other interested professional organizations;
(h) The commission shall have the authority through use of generally applicable definitions, to designate an area of the state as underserved or rural. The method by which these designations shall be made shall be contained in rules and regulations promulgated by the commission.
SECTION 4. Section 37-144-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-7. (1) The commission shall develop and implement policies and procedures designed to recruit, identify and enroll undergraduate students who demonstrate necessary interest, commitment, aptitude and academic achievement to pursue careers as family physicians or other generalist physicians in rural or medically underserved areas of Mississippi, and to develop and implement the programs designed to foster successful entry of participants into medical school, completion of medical school, enrollment into and completion of family medicine or other generalist residency, and establishment and maintenance of a career in family medicine or other generalist specialty in a rural or underserved area of Mississippi.
(2) The commission shall have the authority through use of generally applicable definitions to designate an area of the state as underserved or rural.
(3) The commission, in conjunction with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, shall have the authority to provide students selected for scholarship funding with faculty mentors and other programs designed to enhance the students' likelihood of admission to the medical school. The commission and the University of Mississippi Medical Center will develop coursework that will provide scholarship students with the skills necessary for sustained and successful medical practice in rural Mississippi.
(4) Each applicant for admission to the program must submit an application to the commission that conforms to requirements established by the commission.
(5) In selecting participants for the program, the board may only accept an applicant if his or her academic record and other characteristics, if given consideration by the University of Mississippi School of Medicine Admissions Committee, would be considered credible and competitive.
(6) An applicant for the program may be admitted only upon a majority vote of the members of the commission.
(7) Not less than fifteen (15) students will be admitted to the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program each year, provided that there are fifteen (15) or more qualified applicants for the program.
(8) Upon the funding of sixty-one (61) or more rural physicians scholarships by the Legislature and recognizing the importance of balancing the needs of comprehensive primary care along with a critical shortage of psychiatrists in Mississippi, the commission may grant an exception for fourth-year medical or osteopathic school (M4) students who demonstrate a desire to practice psychiatry in rural Mississippi and who use a practice model and enter the practice of medicine in a rural or underserved area in Mississippi, as defined by the commission, beginning for the M4 Class of 2020.
SECTION 5. Section 37-144-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-9. (1) Participants must adhere to the policies and practices as stipulated by the commission to continue in the program.
(2) Students in the program may receive tuition or other financial support that may be provided by the commission. If a student in the program is admitted to and completes medical or osteopathic school, any tuition or other educational and living support provided to the student by the commission will be forgiven. However, if the student is not successful in being accepted into medical or osteopathic school within three (3) years of entry into the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, or if the student otherwise breaches his or her agreement with the commission, all financial assistance provided to the student must be repaid according to policies adopted by the board.
SECTION 6. Section 37-144-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-11. (1) Students in the program may apply to any medical or osteopathic school that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
(2) Students in the program seeking admission to the University of Mississippi School of Medicine shall be eligible for a special admissions process pursuant to criteria established by the School of Medicine Admissions Committee which will include special consideration of the attributes of participation in the program.
(3) In carrying out the admissions process developed for the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program participants under this section, the goal is for the program to work with the School of Medicine to enhance the capability of participants to successfully enter and complete medical school, train in family medicine or other generalist primary care specialty and enter practice in rural or underserved areas in Mississippi. To the extent feasible, the early admissions process should be completed before November 1 of the year preceding a student's admission to medical school.
SECTION 7. Section 37-144-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-13. (1) Subject to the availability of funding, students in the program who successfully matriculate to medical or osteopathic school are eligible for ongoing financial support in accordance with policies and requirements of the commission and in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. The number of students to be supported at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and at other schools will be established by policy prescribed by the commission.
(2) Subject to the availability of funding, students enrolled at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine may receive tuition support, funding to assist with the cost of books and a living stipend, as prescribed by policy of the commission and in accordance with applicable regulations. Preferences for ongoing funding must be given to those students admitted to the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.
(3) For each year that a student in medical or osteopathic school receives financial assistance, the student is obligated for one (1) year of practice as a primary care physician in a rural or underserved area in Mississippi. Breach of the agreement at any stage of training shall invoke the repayment of all financial assistance provided to the student through the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, including assistance provided during undergraduate school, as well as in medical or osteopathic school, along with other penalties that may be prescribed in policy by the commission.
SECTION 8. Section 37-144-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-15. Medical and osteopathic students in the program must enter family medicine or other generalist residency programs according to their choice of specialty. Depending upon the availability of funds, students who successfully enter residency programs which have been approved by the commission may receive further financial support from the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program subject to applicable rules and policies of the commission. All funding for financial support from the commission to participants during their residency must be disbursed in accordance with applicable regulations.
SECTION 9. Section 37-144-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-17. (1) Upon completion of residency, a participant in the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program must proceed to enter the practice of medicine in a rural or underserved area in Mississippi, as defined by the commission and consistent with generally acceptable designations. If an area experiences significant changes in its medical or general community which are not reflected by health professional shortage area (HPSA) or medically underserved area (MUA) rural designation, the commission may receive testimony and, in its discretion, may qualify the area as an underserved or rural area to allow the program participant to fulfill his or her practice obligation.
(2) Upon entering the practice of medicine, a participant in the program must serve in a health professional shortage area (HPSA), medically underserved area (MUA), or rural area otherwise approved for practice under subsection (1) of this section for a number of years which corresponds to the number of years, not to exceed five (5), for which the participant received funding through the program. A participant who completes residency outside the State of Mississippi who fails to enter the practice of medicine as required under this section shall be deemed in breach of contract and shall be liable for the immediate repayment of all financial assistance provided to the participant through the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, including assistance provided during undergraduate school, as well as in medical or osteopathic school, along with other penalties that may be prescribed in policy by the board. Any participant who fails to complete the period of practice for which he or she is obligated to provide services in a health professional shortage area (HPSA) or a medically underserved area (MUA) in exchange for financial assistance received through the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program shall be liable for the repayment of all financial assistance provided to the participant through the program, along with other penalties that may be prescribed by the commission, an amount which shall be reduced on a pro rata basis for actual years of practice by the physician in the area designated by the commission.
SECTION 10. Section 37-144-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-19. The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, acting through the commission, shall make every effort to establish an initial practice entry support system for participants in the program.
SECTION 11. Section 37-144-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-144-21. This chapter may not be construed as granting the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program or its governing commission any governing or administrative authority over any program administered by any college, university, medical school or residency program in this state or any other program established by state law.
SECTION 12. Section 37-146-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-1. Mississippi Rural Dentists Program established. There is established the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program for the purpose of identifying and recruiting qualified university and college students from rural areas of the state for dental school matriculation. The program shall consist of three (3) distinct phases through which participants will progress, including:
(a) Undergraduate pre-dental education;
(b) Dental school and residency; and
(c) Initial entry into dental practice in a rural or underserved area of the State of Mississippi.
SECTION 13. Section 37-146-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-3. Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Commission; compensation; program funding. (1) The Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program shall be administered by a commission to be known as the "Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Commission." The commission shall be directed by a board composed of the following members:
(a) Two (2) dentists appointed by and from the membership of the Mississippi Dental Association, the term of which shall be three (3) years and who may be reappointed for one (1) additional term;
(b) One (1) dentist appointed by and from the membership of each of the following organizations, the term of which shall be three (3) years and who may be reappointed for one (1) additional term:
(i) Mississippi Dental Society;
(ii) Mississippi Academy of General Dentistry; and
(iii) Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry;
(c) Two (2) designees of the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry whose terms are at the discretion of the dean, at least one (1) of whom is a member of the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry Admissions Committee; and
(d) Two (2) dental students, one (1) of whom shall be selected yearly through a process developed by the Dean of the School of Dentistry in consultation with the chairs of the various departments.
(2) The pre-professional advisors from the accredited four-year colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi shall comprise an advisory committee to the commission in the administration of the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program.
(3) Vacancies on the commission must be filled in a manner consistent with the original appointments.
(4) All appointments to the commission must be made no later than September 1, 2013. After the members are appointed, the Program Director of the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program shall set a date for the organizational meeting that is mutually acceptable to the majority of the commission members. The organizational meeting shall be for the purposes of organizing the commission and establishing rules for transacting its business. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at all commission meetings. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the adoption of rules, reports and in any other actions taken by the commission. At the organizational meeting, the commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from the members appointed according to paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (1). The chair shall serve for a term of two (2) years, upon the expiration of which, the vice chair shall assume the office of chair.
(5) After the organizational meeting, the commission shall hold no less than two (2) meetings annually.
(6) The commission may form an executive committee for the purpose of transacting business that must be conducted before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the commission. All actions taken by the executive committee must be ratified by the commission at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
(7) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the commission, as provided in Section 25-3-41.
(8) Funding for the establishment and continued operation of the program and commission shall be appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not already appropriated to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
SECTION 14. Section 37-146-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-5. Powers and duties of the commission. The Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) Developing the administrative policy for the commission and the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program;
(b) Promulgating rules and regulations, with the advice and consent of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, pertaining to the implementation and operation of the Rural Dentists Scholarship Program;
(c) Developing and implementing strategies and activities for the identification and recruitment of students and for marketing the program and for the implementation of the program. In developing these strategies, the board shall seek the input of various organizations and entities;
(d) Establishing a budget, with the advice and consent of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, to support the activities of the program and periodically reviewing and if appropriate, revising, the scholarship and other stipends offered through the program;
(e) Advising the University of Mississippi Medical Center regarding hiring appropriate staff necessary to work in conjunction with the Executive Director of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program;
(f) Reviewing participants' progress in the program and mentoring students and dentists participating in the program;
(g) The commission shall have the authority through use of generally applicable definitions, to designate an area of the state as underserved or rural. The method by which these designations shall be made shall be contained in rules and regulations promulgated by the commission.
SECTION 15. Section 37-146-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-7. Identification and recruitment of undergraduate participants; designation of underserved or rural area; applicant qualifications; maximum number of new admissions per year. (1) The commission shall develop and implement policies and procedures designed to recruit, identify and enroll undergraduate students who demonstrate necessary interest, commitment, aptitude and academic achievement to pursue careers as dentists in rural or dentally underserved areas of Mississippi, and to develop and implement the programs designed to foster successful entry of participants into dental school, completion of dental school, and establishment and maintenance of a career in dentistry in a rural or underserved area of Mississippi.
(2) The commission shall have the authority through use of generally applicable definitions, to designate an area of the state as underserved or rural.
(3) The commission, in conjunction with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, shall have the authority to provide students selected for scholarship funding with faculty mentors and other programs designed to enhance the students' likelihood of admission to the dental school. The commission and the University of Mississippi Medical Center will develop coursework that will help provide scholarship students with the skills necessary for sustained and successful dental practice in rural Mississippi.
(4) Each applicant for admission to the program must submit an application to the commission that conforms to requirements established by the commission.
(5) In selecting participants for the program, the board may only accept an applicant if his or her academic record and other characteristics, if given consideration by the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry Admissions Committee, would be considered credible and competitive.
(6) An applicant for the program may be admitted only upon a majority vote of the members of the commission.
(7) Up to three (3) students will be admitted to the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program each year.
SECTION 16. Section 37-146-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-9. Participants to adhere to program policies and practices to remain in program; forgiveness or repayment of financial assistance under certain circumstances. (1) Participants must adhere to the policies and practices as stipulated by the commission to continue in the program.
(2) Students in the program may receive tuition or other financial support that may be provided by the commission. If a student in the program is admitted to and completes dental school, any tuition or other educational and living support provided to the student by the commission will be forgiven. However, if the student is not successful in being accepted into dental school within three (3) years of entry into the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program, or if the student otherwise breaches his or her agreement with the commission, all financial assistance provided to the student must be repaid according to policies adopted by the board.
SECTION 17. Section 37-146-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-11. Participants may apply to the accredited dental school in Mississippi; early admissions process for students applying to University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. (1) Students in the program may apply to the Mississippi Dental School.
(2) Students in the program seeking admission to the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry shall be eligible for the admissions process pursuant to criteria established by the School of Dentistry Admissions Committee which will include consideration of the attributes of participation in the program.
(3) In carrying out the admissions process developed for the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program participants under this section, the goal is for the program to work with the School of Dentistry to enhance the capability of participants to successfully enter and complete dental school and enter practice in rural or underserved areas in Mississippi. To the extent feasible, the early admissions process should be completed before December 1 of the year preceding a student's admission to dental school.
SECTION 18. Section 37-146-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-13. Ongoing financial support for program participants who attend dental school; preference for ongoing support to University of Mississippi School of Dentistry students; students obligated for one year of practice for every year of financial assistance received. (1) Subject to the availability of funding, students in the program who successfully matriculate to dental school are eligible for ongoing financial support in accordance with policies and requirements of the commission and in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. The number of students to be supported at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry and at other schools will be established by policy prescribed by the commission.
(2) Subject to the availability of funding, students enrolled at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry may receive tuition support, funding to assist with the cost of books and a living stipend, as prescribed by policy of the commission and in accordance with applicable regulations. Preferences for ongoing funding must be given to those students admitted to the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry.
(3) For each year that a student in dental school receives financial assistance, the student is obligated for one (1) year of practice as a dentist in a rural or underserved area in Mississippi. Breach of the agreement at any stage of training shall invoke the repayment of all financial assistance provided to the student through the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program along with other penalties that may be prescribed in policy by the commission.
SECTION 19. Section 37-146-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-17. Program participants required to enter practice of dentistry in health professional shortage, rural or underserved area upon completion of residency for number of years corresponding to number of years assistance received up to maximum of five years; breach of contract; liability for repayment. (1) Upon completion of dental school and/or a dental residency program approved by the commission, a participant in the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program must proceed to enter the full-time practice of dentistry in a rural or underserved area in Mississippi, as defined by the commission and consistent with generally acceptable designations. If an area experiences significant changes in its dental or general community which are not reflected by dental health professional shortage area (HPSA), the commission may receive testimony and, in its discretion, may qualify the area as a dentally underserved or rural area to allow the program participant to fulfill his or her practice obligation.
(2) Upon entering the practice of dentistry, a participant in the program must serve in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA) or rural area otherwise approved for practice under subsection (1) of this section for a number of years which corresponds to the number of years, not to exceed five (5), for which the participant received funding through the program. Any participant who fails to complete the period of practice for which he or she is obligated to provide services in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA) or rural area in exchange for financial assistance received through the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program shall be liable for the repayment of all financial assistance provided to the participant through the program, along with other penalties that may be prescribed by the commission, an amount which shall be reduced on a pro rata basis for actual years of practice by the dentist in the area designated by the commission.
SECTION 20. Section 37-146-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-19. Initial practice entry support system for program participants. The Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program, acting through the commission, shall make an effort to establish an initial practice entry support system for participants in the program.
SECTION 21. Section 37-146-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-146-21. Limitation of program and commission governing and administrative authority. This chapter may not be construed as granting the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program or its governing commission any governing or administrative authority over any program administered by any college, university, dental school or residency program in this state or any other program established by state law.
SECTION 22. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.